Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses and everyone for their comments so far. In 2016, some 470,000 people were renting. On 23 November, there were 352,000 people on the pandemic unemployment payment, PUP. Why do the witnesses think that only 348 tenant declarations have been made? Does someone whose income has been affected by Covid-19, and who can prove it, need to be in rent arrears to avail of a freeze on rent increases? Must people in that situation consult with the Money Advice & Budgeting Service, MABS, and follow the other steps? Are we essentially forcing people into rent arrears and putting their tenancies at risk, when these provisions could instead be made available without those requirements?

The planning consultation provisions of the Bill are due to last until June 2021. Why are the tenancy protections to end in April, and why is provision not given to the Minister to extend those protections, if necessary? Why was the five-month exemption from rent arrears chosen? How was this timeframe reached? Unlike tenants, who must provide evidence of rent arrears, why are landlords automatically considered to be relevant persons if they are receiving any Covid-19-related social welfare payments? Employers can also subsidise the EWSS up to people's full incomes, yet no provision deals with landlords receiving payment under this scheme, but who have suffered no loss of income.

On the balancing of rights regarding a ban on evictions, I believe this Bill will give the landlord more rights than the tenant in respect of situations where the landlord is receiving any Covid-19-related payment. This will deter tenants from making declarations, therefore, because they will feel that protections are not in place to support them. Putting these provisions in for the landlord is, therefore, detrimental to tenants.